Improvement in trunk-fasteners



P. MARTIN. Trunk-Fastener.

No. 196,030. Patented Oct. 9, 1877.

fwd; cfor UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

PETER MARTIN, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

lM PROVEMENT IN TRUNK-FASTENERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 196,030, dated October 9, 1877; application filed March 16, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER MARTIN, of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fastenings for Trunks and other Articles, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to fastenings which, applied to a trunk, comprise a hook attached to the lid of the latter, and a latch-lever arranged within a case on the body of the trunk, and made capable of manipulation from the exterior of the case to effect the engagement and disengagement, oreither, of the hook and lever.

The invention consists in a hook of novel construction, in combination with the latchlever and means used to hold and manipulate the latter, whereby on shutting the lid of the .trunk with sufficient force, the latch-lever is automatically released to engage with the hook.

Figures 1 and 2 are back views of the fastening, showing the parts in difi'erent positions, and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section, on the irregular line a: av, of the. fastening, showing also portions of a trunk to which the fastening is applied.

A is the hook, arranged to project from the one or lower edge of a plate, by which said hook is secured to the closing margin of the lid B of the trunk.

O is the case of the fastening, down within which the hook A enters when the trunk-lid is closed. Said case, which is secured to the body D of the trunk on its upper front margin or portion, contains a latchlever, E, which consists only of one arm or leg, so that a case of contracted dimensions serves to provide for its operation. This lever E works on a pivot, b, at its one or bottom end, and is formed with a hook-shaped opposite extremity, c, which engages with the hook A of the lid when the latter is closed and the latch-lever is released and thrown by a spring, d, acting on the back of it, as shown in Fig. 2. Between the pivot b and hook-shaped end a said latch-lever is formed with a swell, e, on the same side or edge as the hooked portion 0.

G is a cam or stop lever, arranged to work on an intermediate pivot or fulcrum, f, within the case 0, and'so that its tail or outer arm projects through an opening, g, in the side of the case. When the outer arm of this lever is pressed downward, as shown in Fig. 1, its inner or cam-shaped arm, which, during such adjustment, has forced the latch-lever back, bears on or against the swell e, and holds the latch-lever in a disengaged position with the hook A of the lid.

When the outer arm of the lever G, however, is reversed or thrown up, as shown in Fig. 2, said lever ceases to bear on the swell c, and provides for the spring at throwing the latch-lever E into an engaging position with the hook A of the lid, and so that when the lid is being closed the hook A will press back the latch-lever E, to efiect its subsequent engagement by the action of the spring d when the lid is fully closed.

The arrangement of the cam or stop lever G, and of the single-armed latch-lever E, relatively with each other and with the case, is not only a compact one, and necessitates but a contracted opening being made in any cover that may be put over the trunk, but it has a still further advantage. Thus, while the lever G serves as a prop or support to hold the latch-lever disengaged, as shown in Fig. 1, it is not arranged under the latch-lever, so that by providing the hook A with a horn or extension, h, the latter, on the closing of the lid with sufficient force, will strike the lever G and move it from 01f the swell e, and so cause the latch-lever to automatically engage with the lid, notwithstanding the latch-lever has been left supported in its disengaged position by the cam or stop lever.

When the parts are thus constructed it is never necessary, in fact, to manipulate the lever G from its exterior or outer end to liberate the latch-lever.

I claim The hook A, constructed with a horn-or extension, h, in combination with the cam or stop lever G, the case 0, through one side of which said lever projects, the latch-lever E, having a swell, e, for the stop-lever to bear against, and the spring d, essentially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

PETER MARTIN.

Witnesses MICHAEL RYAN, FRED. HAYNES. 

